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High Times in the Low Parliament by [Kelly Robson]

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Kelly Robson

High Times in the Low Parliament Kindle Edition

by Kelly Robson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

76 ratings

Editors' pick Best Science Fiction & Fantasy

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"[A] cheeky lesbian stoner fantasy . . . This is gallows humor with a light touch."—The New York Times Book Review

A NPR Best of the Year pick!

A Most Anticipated Pick for Autostraddle | LGBTQ Reads

Award-winning author Kelly Robson returns with High Times in the Low Parliament, a lighthearted romp through an 18th-century London featuring flirtatious scribes, irritable fairies, and the dangers of Parliament.

Lana Baker is Aldgate’s finest scribe, with a sharp pen and an even sharper wit. Gregarious, charming, and ever so eager to please, she agrees to deliver a message for another lovely scribe in exchange for kisses and ends up getting sent to Low Parliament by a temperamental fairy as a result.

As Lana transcribes the endless circular arguments of Parliament, the debates grow tenser and more desperate. Due to long-standing tradition, a hung vote will cause Parliament to flood and a return to endless war. Lana must rely on an unlikely pair of comrades—Bugbite, the curmudgeonly fairy, and Eloquentia, the bewitching human deputy—to save humanity (and maybe even woo one or two lucky ladies), come hell or high water.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Print length

162 pages
Language

English
Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
Publisher

Tordotcom
Publication date

August 9, 2022
File size

2652 KB
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Kelly Robson
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Kelly Robson
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C. L. Polk
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Paul Cornell
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Kelly Robson
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"[A] cheeky lesbian stoner fantasy . . . This is gallows humor with a light touch."―The New York Times Book Review

"Witty, warmhearted, frequently gorgeous, and an awful lot of fun."―NPR

“High Times is funny, literally outlandish, and deeply relevant. A dazzling world, a terrifying predicament, and a lot of hallucinogenic drugs combine in an unlikely, engaging tale of friendship, wit, heroism, and romance.”―Malka Older

“Hilarious, and at times hallucinogenic, Kelly Robson’s High Times in Low Parliament lives up to its title. This book could flirt the knickers off a nun―or a politician―or a wicked fairy―then swagger back to snuggle us before our pillows grew cold.”―C.S.E. Cooney

“A great read, with all the right ingredients!”―Ellen Kushner

“A satirical send-up of politicians and bureaucrats wrapped in a story of queer love and female friendship, sprinkled with fairy dust . . . Readers who like their political fantasies and power trips to go down with a spoonful of sugar will eat this up.”―Library Journal

"Robson’s story, like Lana, is a tease, fascinating and clever . . . The political satire is sharp though, in this lighthearted romp."―Booklist

“Robson’s fans will enjoy this easygoing perspective on a politically charged fairy tale world.”―Publisher's Weekly

“High Times in the Low Parliament is, at its best, demented fun and shrewd satire . . . Robson has introduced us to a thoroughly engaging rogue in Lana, along with an appealingly grumpy fairy who comes to learn that humans might, after all, be worth saving from themselves. It's a pair we wouldn't mind visiting again.”―Locus

--This text refers to the paperback edition.

About the Author

Kelly Robson lives in downtown Toronto with her wife, writer A.M. Dellamonia. Her novelette “A Human Stain” won the 2018 Nebula Award, and her time travel adventure Gods, Monsters, and the Lucky Peach won the 2019 Aurora Award and was a finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, Theodore Sturgeon, and Locus Awards. Kelly’s first short story collection Alias Space and Other Stories was published in 2021. Find her on Twitter and Instagram. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09CNDSKZH
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tordotcom (August 9, 2022)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 9, 2022
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2652 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 162 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1250823021

Best Sellers Rank: #197,565 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #338 in LGBTQ+ Fantasy Fiction
- #519 in Dragons & Mythical Creatures Fantasy (Kindle Store)
- #996 in Historical Fantasy (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
76 ratings

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Kelly Robson

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Like you, I'm a passionate reader. I spent most of my teenage years either hanging out at the drugstore waiting for new issues of Asimov's Science Fiction magazine, or when I was in the city, lurking in the SF and Fantasy section of the bookstore. This was pre-Internet and since there were no bookstores in my town and the library was pretty bare, good books -- the kind that made my heart sing -- were precious treasures. To this day, nothing is more important to me than reading, nothing is more delicious than a great novel, and few people are as important as my favorite writers.

My writing life has been pretty diverse. I've edited science books, and from 2008 to 2012 I had the great good luck to write a monthly wine column for Chatelaine, the largest women's magazine in Canada. I've published short fiction at Tor.com, Asimov's Science Fiction, Clarkesworld, and a number of anthologies. Several of my stories have been chosen for "year's best" anthologies, and in the past two years I've been a finalist for several high-profile awards.

My favorite writers are Connie Willis, Walter Jon Williams, Michael Bishop, Jack Womack, Hilary Mantel, Alan Bennett, Patrick O'Brian, A.M. Dellamonica, Saladin Ahmed, Gemma Files, Maureen McHugh, Cat Rambo, Peter Watts, and Caitlin Sweet. I have a huge soft spot for classic literature, including Jane Austen, Anne Bronte, Charlotte Bronte, Thomas Hardy, Ford Maddox Ford, John Galsworthy, George Eliot, and Mrs. Gaskell. I also love reading non-fiction -- history, historical geography, and science.

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5

76 global ratings

5 star		34%
4 star		36%
3 star		20%
2 star		8%
1 star		2%

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Joy1991

fun quick read

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 25, 2023

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This book was fun and quite a quick read. I’m always a bit critical of single-gender world building. All characters that exist in this world use she/her pronouns, at the very least, and it is not a part of the plot, or ever explained, which I guess is normally for the best as it can get into terf-y territory pretty quickly. In any case, all the characters, all the romance, all the intrigue takes place within a world entirely comprised of she/her folks and fairies (also she/her) and one stoner gets swept off to parliament to be a scribe. The book doesn’t bother with deeply developing a plot, or making you think too hard about issues. It’s about a stoner gal and her fairy pal doing drugs and forming a bond with each other while the other human’s inability to govern nearly is on the verge of making the fairies drown the whole system of government. Like I said, no need to think too deeply about the plot, but it’s a fun read.

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Whit

Grand vision, playful world, sweetly imagined and fanciful

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 25, 2022

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I've read much of Robson's work and find her range remarkable. The characters here are vivid and likable in all cases. The world is full of interesting hints; the work doesn't feel as self-contained as some readers might prefer, but it's a novella, so I bring a healthy dose of tolerance and I welcome the potential for a larger world and one hopes another story set within it. The world-building wouldn't survive litigation of its details but it holds together and the many novel factors interlink effectively.

One person found this helpful

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Zig Zag Claybourne

Flirting with readers

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 24, 2022

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I've seen few authors take what could be a dry premise straight into outright amazing joy. Kelly Robson exults in it. I've been a Robsonian since Robson's Waters of Versailles made me a believer in the magic of toilets. Now Brexit, finding your joy despite circumstances trying to take it away, and unhinged politicians merge into a bubbly flirtation of a novella. Robson excels at finding wonder in the mundane, truth in the ridiculous, and heart in unlikely spaces. A big theme in this novella is letting yourself have fun. I loved Lana and Bugbite finding more to do in an ugly situation than complain. I highly recommend you read this book and do the same!

2 people found this helpful

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kormantic

A pinch of gold!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 28, 2022

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This was fun and funny, with a charming protagonist who fancies herself a rakish ladykiller. She and a waspish but loyal friend come to the aid of a beautiful and exhausted (but dedicated) public servant who just wants to get something done. Lives are on the line, but who can blame Lana for aiming for a few kisses along the way? Highly recommended.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 17, 2022

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Robson is already a master, and this was fantastic!

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Anna Tambour

Seriously delightful, and brave

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 25, 2022

First, I hate the star system. Second, I reckon 5 stars should be only given to the ever-changing 5 faves of a reader, not to all the books one loves that deserve multiple readings as times change but we all stay the ever-changing same: these deserve 4, not given lightly.

I had thought the perfect metaphor for High Times in the Low Parliament by Kelly Robson was literally served on a plate towards the end: cherry jam on a rusk. Tart, sweet, true, ruby- and blood-red, gritty, indulgent, wholesome, sharp, dry-edged, a sensuous gorgeous mess that if one tries to eat politely, explodes onto plate and lap. But like all unforgettable fiction, serendipity hit with fact within hours of “finishing” reading (turned the last page the first time).

“Alas, the Palais is as concealed as ever. Political squabbling and dodgy brickwork mean the overhaul is now expected to take several more years to complete. The scaffolding has been up so long, it is itself in the process of being renovated.”
--from “How the EU looks after a decade of horrors”, The Economist, August 18, 2022

If only the EU and all its Eurobabblers had the incentive looming in this novel, and the combination of characters who rise to the occasion with such grace, targeted stings, and the best sex in any taxpayer-supported pile.

I’ve always been a sucker for smart political fiction matched with spot-on satire. This is it.
But there’s so much to love, including the brilliant names and the totally realistic personalities, down to the soiled fairy shoe. This is a brave novel, too, for daring to have a character who has a gift for happiness. And for sex that isn't merely a bodice-ripping race but instead is taking-the-time-to-enjoy-touch: kissing.

Would make a great read in bed, shared amongst lovers.

2 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

P A DEWS THOMSON

A Different sort of parliament

Reviewed in Australia 🇦🇺 on January 21, 2023

Verified Purchase

When the fairies forced humans to argue out their differences, did they think it would be this difficult? Probably not. Can friendship and seduction shape the outcome. Certainly worth a try.

Margomacd

Super fun! Super queer!

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on August 17, 2022

Verified Purchase

This is the lesbian buddy pseudo-historic comedy I needed! So good. So sweet. So funny.

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